Tess Black & Fenrir.
The wolf's breath was low and coarse, he crouched low to the ground, careful not to make a sound.
He was now in his human form so that he could conceal himself easier.
He, in this form, had a lean and muscular build, he stood at a mere 6'1 as oppose to his natural height at 15'ft tall,
His Fur, as wild as the storm, yet as dark as the starless night, was replaced by a simple shock of hair in a raven black, much like his father, only his was not tame, straight and stiff,
But his was a more unruly, untamed mane of hair falling over his shoulders and down his back.
Only his eyes, no longer a sharp liquid gold, were frosty blue like his mother's.
He tried not to think to much about his mother, the sorrow of not seeing her for so long, and likely never seeing her loving face again, proved far to much for him to deal with emotionally.
Her face would often appear when he did not wish for it to, haunting him with a severe mix of heart-warming memories and love, as well a bitter bite of realization that she was lost to him forever...
Ah, he remembered her well, though...
She stood at a towering 17 ft, with a very toned and imposing stature, her clear skin of azure blue, with black tribal tattoos running all along her body, up her arms, down her legs, and around her torso, her wild, long striking red hair, done up in a warrior's braids reached clear down her back.
Her appearance suited her, as she was a warrior of Jotunheim, and among the strongest of her kind, as dangerous and merciless as the cold world she lived in.
But as a mother, she was always kind and gentle, nurturing, but when protecting us, fierce!
Frightening all who posed a threat to us.
But she was also balanced with an understanding that the world gave to none of her children.
But she would never stand for playing the fool, nor ignore the obvious, she would have no nonsense from anyone or anything, and always sought out the truth.
That stubborn and proud personality was probably what led her to at last divorce her unfaithful husband, Loki.
Of all his siblings, Fenrir had the most memories of that time, and like back then, he believed it served him right for betraying her loyalty as he did, with a Maiden not much older then Fenrir himself!
It was memories of his dear mother that threatened the hell hound to break into tears.
O' the pain that must have plagued her when she found herself powerless to save her children from their ultimate fates,
But Fenrir knew that he could not afford to dwell on the past.
Not now,
For he had more pressing matters at hand.
As for why he was at the heels of an unsuspecting Midgardian child at this point, was among the many important matters at hand.
He had followed her for days, he first saw her walking home alone one night...
START OF FLASHBACK.
Fenrir walked along the dark ally's of new York in a cryptic manner, he, in his human form, dorned a black hooded, hip-length leather jacket with brown fur at the trims of the sleeves and hood. dark grey jeans with a white-painted tribal wolf-shaped designs along his thigh and hip, with a studded belt at the waist, and a pair of black leather boots that reached almost to his knee's.
He walked the allys, sticking to the shadows,
Watching,
Lurking,
Hiding,
Waiting...
He listened to the endless noise in this restless city,
From the faintest squeak of a large rat, to the loudest roar of thunder from his uncle's hammer.
He listened to all, and it made him sick!
He hated Midgard, and all who dwell on it!
It sickened him to think that he had to masquerade as one of them for his own safety!
Lest he be taken back,
To be imprisoned again,
That thought scared him more then anything,
He'd gladly forfit his pride to avoid that fate again!
No force on Valhalla or Midgard could force him back to that place!
He, jerking him from his own blooding-chilling thoughts, heard the clatter of someone's footsteps against the concrete, she smelled female.
It was no surprise to him, it was usually a thief running from an Authority figure, or a homeless person finding a place to shield him or herself from the harsh, unforgiving climate, or a junkie either to delirious to even know where he/she is, and is just wandering aimlessly,
Sometimes to die, like a useless dog in the streets.
He felt no mercy, nor did he find amusement, just hollow indifference to them.
But, for this one yet-to-be-seen human, though he could not explain the reason, something inside compelled him to look to where she walked.
And to his surprise, it was none of those things!
It was a pretty, healthy-looking young woman.
She looked no older then 18, a youth in the prime of life, blue eyes, shielded by a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, long black hair with a green hue, tied back in a ponytail, she wore a pair of dark slacks and a hoodie, with a suspicious looking bag in hand, all the while wandering these lonely, dangerous streets all alone.
Whatever was she doing?
"That can't be very safe, or wise. Hopefully her death is NOT the cure to make her realize." Fenrir said to himself, blue eyes watching the young woman walk out of view.
At first, he payed no mind, and was to walk away.
Over the centuries, he had become as cold as the ice from which he once had lived, he did not look twice at a short-sighted maiden like her, nor any other mortal who proved to stupid to look after their own well-being, but, the centuries have also proved him to become wise.
If she were to brush with danger, and then survive, it would serve to her a greater lesson of her own mortality then any lecture her elders could give.
If she were to die, well, it would serve as a cautionary tale for all who hear of it.
And Odin knows that the youth of Midgard would do well with a few cautionary fables scaring them into some state of common sense.
For it is in the folly of youth that we dub ourselves invincible.
Fenrir knew this better then most, he was quite the young and reckless pup in his own youth in the vacant, icey plains of Jotunheim.
Exploring the endless mysteries within the ice with his younger siblings,
His lovely little sister, Hela,
And his Dear brother, Jörmungandr
Hela was, at least in those days, a very shy and timid child, endlessly ridiculed for her half-rotted body by the other jotun children.
Fenrir, enraged by them for harming his dear sister, would always come to her rescue.
He could not understand their fear of her, there existed no one more innocent in all the nine realms!
She always acted as the calm, and level-headed ego to her big Brother's raging and reckless Ids.
Though she was innocent only back then, now they would be justified in their fear of her.
With her masked face with a most devilish grin being the first thing you see after her deathly embrace, they best fear her.
But then, he recalled with a heavy heart that there was no other child as sweet as she,
But no more.
She was the cryptic warrior queen of Nifleheim.
And his Brother, Jörmungandr, he had also had a close relationship with.
Brothers in mischief, they would always spend their youth, exploring, playing pranks, mostly harmless, on the other children.
Despite that, however, Fenrir would always take notice of the more ambicious, vindictive and power-hungry nature of his young Serpent Brother.
It was indeed true,
The apple, never fell far from the tree.
But all the same, it no longer mattered.
He was now dead,
He thought with grimace what he felt when Tyr first told him of his brother's demise.
Never had he felt a pain so swift, that it felt almost light, like he did not yet believe it, then to heavy and tearing, you feel as though your being torn apart from the inside out!
Jormungadr, the Midgard Serpent, amoung the most deadly and venomous in all the nine realms,
A danger to all who approached him,
With a fretful ambicion to overthrow the gods,
Was STILL his Brother!
He gave a great howl in his grief over him, and prayed that somehow, Jor would hear him,
From wherever he was now.
But now destroyed at the hands of his very Uncle.
That arrogant, oafish retch of a god,
Thor.
A great rage overtook the wolf as he thought of them...
Thor, who killed his Brother,
Balder, who's death ensured his family's decent into their own respective hell, and for Hela, quite literally.
Idduna, the damned guardian of the golden apples.
But most of all, the one whom he resented the most of all the gods in the heavens above was,
Tyr!
That vile, treacherous bastard!
The taste of his blood and flesh was still remembered in his mind as though it has only just occurred,
O' how Fenrir longed for the day he could take his vengeance on him for his betrayal once and for all!
But for now, he would just stay hidden in Midgard,
Biding his time,
Waiting to return to his full strength.
He began to walk away,
Then, he caught whiff of her scent.
It, it can't be! The wolf/man thought as his own curiosity compelled him to look back to the girl,
Blue eyes peered through the darkness, and found that she was now out of his sight!
After a moment's hesitation, Fenrir chose to follow her, taking his true form once more.
Returning to his natural state was a lot like removing an uncomfortable garment, and finally, Fenrir felt that he could breath again!
He was far more nimble in this form as well.
Though his size made it harder to conceal his frame, he had the blackness of the night on his side, covering his sleek black coat in its darkness.
He realized his own stupidity as he gave chase to her in the dark alleys, but he just had to be sure...
To his surprise, she made her way home safely,
This was New York, and NO ONE tried to attack her, a meek looking young maiden like her?!
Though as surprising as it was, all the while she was none the wiser that she was being followed by the most dangerous hellhound of legend.
The Fenris wolf.
END OF FLASKBACK.
He had been on her trail since, which he admitted was bound to look rather creepy from an onlookers point of view, all the same, the more he followed this seemingly lowly mortal child, the more sure he was,
That this girl, who looked as normal as any other human on this wretched realm,
There was no mistaking it,
Her hair, as black as soot, with eye that shone icey blue, rang with a familiarity that he could not deny,
But aside from the physical resemblance, it was her scent,
It was unmistakable.
HIS blood flowed through her veins just as it did through his own.
She was a child born of the trickster, just as he.
She was his sister!
At this realization, he felt a great panic, he paced back and forth on the roof of a building across the street from the girl's building, in an attempt to clear his embattled mind and think on a more calm and rational level.
But alas, rationality was never his particular strongpoint,
That was always Loki and Hela's strength.
He was always the more beastly, not consumed by petty obsessions with mundane things like power, entitlement, the throne,
It was unnesasary to him.
He, literally, was a Wolf.
In every sense of the word.
He was a man of impulse, of spite, of rage, spontaneous and crazy, unyielding and adventurous!
But he was indeed capable of the same love that anyone else could feel,
Only his was far, far deeper, as it was a canine's loyalty to his "Pack" A.K.A "Family".
And this persistent emotion proceeded him once more, as a part of him felt a strange sense of joy and love at the thought of gaining a new sister, a need to know her, to protect her, rose up within his beastly heart.
After all, he loved his sister Hela, dearly,
He does still.
He would never forget the little girl she once was,
But, he loved her as she was now as well, Demonic queen.
So why not her as well?
But another part of him, a little dark corner in his heart felt saddened at this unexpected turn of events, even slightly disgusted with Loki, to have moved on to another child so soon,
And not less then an eon are Narvi and Vali in the ground!
" Damn you Father, is thou so vain,
To disregard all consequence and forget about your children's pain?!" He shouted in his frustration!
But most of all, he felt like tearing his father's arm off for having been so stupid!
"You'd think that he would have learned by NOW that he, and the prospect of having children, do NOT mix well!
How many more must you send to hel!" He shouted once more.
Still, he would not blame the girl herself, for it was not her fault, there was even a great chance that she was,
Well, an accident.
And most likely was completely unaware of who and what she really was.
But his anger toward Loki remained.
Nothing to halter his ever nagging and persistent love that mostly proved to be no more then a nuisance, of course, but still quite a burning anger.
He thought about what he must do, should he just leave her be?
Forget that she's his Sister, disappear from her life, and leave well enough alone?
That would probably be what was best,
And though he selfishly longed to know her, to be a good big brother to her as he was to Hela, he recognized that she was happy in her ignorant bliss, without any knowledge of her true parentage, she was likely to remain happy for the rest of her life.
Who was he to take it all away from her?
He was no one, just a lowly, primitive beast.
A mere whisper not uttered in eons,
A fragment of a legend barely remembered,
Most would probably not know of him if they heard,
As such was his existence, to be forgotten.
He then sensed a burst of magic, followed by the faintest sound of footsteps behind him...
Recognizing the scent, whatever joy he may have had from realizing who it was appearing behind him, was over-powered by long repressed feelings of rage that welled up within him, a low growl build in his throat, his blue eyes narrowed and brow furrowed into a menacing scowl,
He turned around angrily to face the man behind him, his father,
The Trickster god, Loki.
He stood stoic before his Son, as mysterious and majestic as Fenrir had always remembered.
The air stilled around them, for neither knew what to say next...At last, the uncomfortable silence was broken by Loki.
" Fenrir, I thought that it might be you," He began, smiling faintly, a feeling of relief washing over him at last seeing his long missing first-born.
Loki had not looked upon his child in many centuries,
Since Balder's death and his own imprisonment, he had only heard from the Aesir that bound him with Narvi's entrails what had become of Fenrir.
That his Son had been imprisoned by the very men he once considered his Brothers, set to be bound for all time.
And it was all his fault, for his actions, he, and his siblings, were to unjustifiably suffer the consequences alongside their father,
And that should not have been!
It was Loki's doing, not theirs!
It should have been his punishment, and his alone.
He had tried to find Fenrir after he had escaped his imprisonment, but he found that Fenrir, by that time, had all ready escaped by his own unknown means, and was nowhere to be found in many years.
Ragnarok did not happen back then, for Fenrir made no attempt on the AllFather's life, but it felt as though a part of his world had ended.
He was just so overjoyed to see him now! Alive and well.
Fenrir, however, didn't share his empathy at seeing him.
The glare that he gave his father rang with feeling of unresolved spite, hatred, love, sorrow, but most of all regret.
Regret for how helpless they both where to stop everything from happening to them.
" Father, I knew not that I'd be seeing thou this night, tell me, what sort what woman made you forget the past and take such a reckless and fanciful flight? " He asked, with a feigned smile on his handsome face, he struggled not to bare fang and show his anger.
" Ah, I see that you now know of Tess." Loki replied calmly, gesturing to the building where Tess resided, realizing with patience that his Wolf/child was NOT happy with him, now more then usual.
And he was fully justified in his feelings.
" So that is her name, its lovely, soft, tame, can she use magic?" Fenrir asked." And be honest!
I shall tolerate none of your games!"
"No, she can not." Loki replied.
"That is good to hear, if only she knew of her heritage, O' how it would cause such fear, now tell me, why is she here?" The Fenris Wolf demanded.
He has taken much after his Mother. The Trickster thought, irritated.
Though Fenrir's question stood well.
Tess's mother was indeed an, engaging woman, one who indeed could make Loki disregard all consequence.
Though he had a hunch that Fenrir would not understand that, let alone accept it!
For the sort of love that he knew was not of a romantic kind, but only a famial kind.
Fenrir was still very innocent in that regard, at least at heart, and not yet knows the boundless wonder, nor the endless pain of a romantic love.
" I know that you must be angry, but believe me when I tell you that I had no intention of this happening, it just, did." Loki replied, not quite sure just how to tell Fenrir so that he'd understand, and not be angered.
" I am angry, among other things." Fenrir said, looking to Tess's window, looking sentimental for the briefest moment before turning back to his Father.
" But that is not what I asked, what I am asking for is the truth, now really, for you, is that such a strain, are you to tell me now that being true causes you such pain?" Fenrir, asked mockingly, his patience wearing thin.
" Its a, long story." Loki responded calmly.
A low deep growl bellowed in Fenrir's throat,
" I suppose honesty was far to much to ask of thou, leave mine sight at once! I don't not wish to see you now!" The Wolf/man shouted as he waved his hand as though casting his father aside like waste he wished to be rid of, turning away from him, and began walking away, each step of his stride inciting his anger.
" Fenrir, please listen to me." Loki insisted, going after his stubborn son.
Fenrir's wrath was not one to ignite, and though Fenrir was well an adult, being the human equivalent of about 28, he was capable of great inside if the mood struck him.
But alas, his prolonged imprisonment seems to have stunted his maturity somewhat, he is still very irrational, childishly stubborn, and his unwillingness to think things through would prove to be nothing but trouble for Loki in the future.
" Fenrir, if you would just hear what I have to say, I'm sure that you will-" He began,
Only for Fenrir to wordlessly turn back around, looking his Father dead in the eye, his blue eyes flaring with rage!
The two Jotun's stood silent once more.
" I, am not, interested, Loki." The Wolf said as he turned away once more and jumped off the building and into the night.
Loki, it was his name, he had heard it uttered throughout eternity, its sweetly-sick sound was nothing knew to him,
But not from Fenrir, to hear it uttered in such blind spite and bitter hatred from his own son made his heart feel as though it had been slashed by a million swords!
All he did was say his name, and it left the great Trickster in such sorrow.
Within the noisy night in the city where you could be surrounding from all sides by millions, and yet somehow be completely and utterly alone, Loki wept.
The Fenris wolf jumped on his two much smaller, but still strong legs, his normally repressed emotions that were hard and still like ice in a snowy glen was now melting down from the painful warmth of his conflicted emotions!
He on one hand felt completely justified in his rage and resentment, the years of lonliness would leave even the most benelvolent a snarling beast.
But despite that, there was still a strong part of him that knew full well that Loki did not mean for everything to happen as it did, he would never have intentionally instigated their suffering.
But that's was just how the wheel of fate spun, and their were all powerless to its sadistic whims.
Fenrir stopped in his tracks and sighed wearily," I shall apologize at our next meeting, there should be no more need for such bitter and petty greeting."
Then, sensing magic in the air once more, and realizing that it was not his Father, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of green inside the window of Tess Black's apartment in the far distance.
The young Jotun's face grew ever grimmer at this discovery." Mine dearest Father, it means that you were wrong, for from the price of your blood, fate shall once more sing its song."